ANIMAL WELFARE INQUIRY LAUNCHEDThe Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Sub-Committee is holding an inquiry to examine the effectiveness of the Animal Welfare Act and its enforcement with regards to domestic animals, which includes horses. Anyone can send a written submission (no longer than 1500 words) via the inquiry page. The deadline is 17th March 2016. Click here for further details.

CONTROL OF HORSES BILL 2014-15
MP Julian Sturdy’s Control of Horses Bill 2014-2015, which sought to extend the existing Bill to include private land, successfully progressed without amendment through both the House of Commons and House of Lords. It received Royal Assent on 26 March and the Bill is now an Act of Parliament (law). Full details can be found here

DEFRA FINALLY ANNOUNCES TO CREATE ONE CENTRALIZED DATABASE
The UK is to establish a much needed new central equine database as part of a more robust – and enforceable – equine identification (horse passport) system after EU member states endorsed proposals for stronger regulations after flaws were laid bare in the 2013 horse meat scandal. Further details can be found here.

END OF ON-LINE PETITIONOur HM Government e-petition closed on 30/03/2015. Towards the end of 2014 we took the decision to concentrate our energies on our paper petition rather than the online petition because it had reached far fewer signatures (less than 3,000). We think the reason may have been because confirmation emails were not being acknowledged. Our paper petition can be used as a tool to engage with people who may not normally have anything to do with horses but can understand when things are blatantly wrong. This means it can be taken to events / gatherings of all sorts and will actively help us spread the word and hopefully inspire others to take up the cause. Each sheet holds 16 signatures so friends and colleagues can be “pounced on” in a way that an e-petition can never do. Please download as many copies as you need and return them to our PO Box (shown on the petition).